| 66THE UMPIRE
SUNDAY, DECEMER 25, 1887.
THE FUTURE OF THE RED MAN.
AN INTERVIEW WITH RED SHIRT.
HOW THE INDIAN CHIEF MET BUFFALO BILL
[BY AN ENQUIBER.]
"I should like to meet Red Shirt if it can be arranged and have a little chat with him."
"Certainly," replied Major Burke, and accordingly the other morning I was introduced to the Sioux chief. Red Shirt, who only left the Indian reservation last March, looks every in a man born to command. He has a singularly fine intelligent face, and the peculiarities of Indian physiognomy are less remarkable in his case than in that of the Wild West Show in Manchester. Arrayed in a red woollen shirt and moccassins, the inevitable blanket thrown round to him so as to leave the right arm free, he looks an ideal Sioux. As he converses his large, bright eyes flash as he gets more and more deeply in earnest, but his countenance, save for an occasional flickering smile that plays about the corners of the mouth, remains as stolid as that of the Sphinx. Red Shirt, whose intelligence is of a very high order, is evidently a shrewd observer, and his good common sense is clearly demonstrated in his replies to any questions put to him.
As is usual at these palayers, Broncho Bill acted as interpreter, and succeeded admirably in coneying the questions and replies. Major Burke, however, explained that it is almost impossible to reproduce the similes drawn from nature, and the often poetic imagery of Indian oratory, unless the interpreter has a corresponding command of graceful English diction. My first question was how Red Shirt, an Indian chief, came to be a member of Buffalo Bill's company, and I was told that he only agreed to join the combination after the United States Government had given special permission and a grand council of the Sioux nation had been held.
THE DEATH OF YELLOW HAND.
"But did you never see Buffalo Bill until you joined this show?"
"Yes, I saw him long ago, but we never spoke until a little while since. All the men of the Sioux nation know Buffalo Bill by reputation. The first time I saw him was at the fight at War Narnard Creek, when the white men were too many for the poor Indians. It was twelve or thirteen years ago, but (and here his eyes twinkled ominously) that fight I can see now. Buffalo Bill in the struggle can see now. Buffalo Bill in the struggle killed Yellow Hand, a great Indian brave, and took his scalp. I tried to fight y way to the white man to revenge my brother, and although we got very near I could not reach him. Had we met one would have died; but the soldiers were encircling us; five of our men were shot down, and we fled. Then we would have killed each other, but now we have the same heart, and we are brothers. Yes, Colonel Cody is very good to me and my people."
A GREAT INDIAN BATTLE.
"Will you tell me another fight in which you were engaged?"
"Yes, I will tell you of a great fight of the Sioux nation with the Pawnees, who were always bad Indians. They had me our people on the hunt and killed them; they had attacked our villages and carried away our squaws and children, and their young braves came, like serpents in the grass, and stole away our horses. The Sioux nation offered to make a treaty of peace with the Pawnees, but the bad Indians refused, and the Grand Council of the Sioux sat down to discuss how we should punish these bad people, and every chief there spoke for going on the war path. Then we made ready to fight. It is fifteen years ago, and I was a young chief then: but my father, who was a great chief, was on the war path, and I was eager to prove myself a great warrior in his eyes. I collected my young men, and we set out, altogether 1300 strong, under 16 big chiefs. The most experienced warriors were sent on two days' march in advance to scout, and scouts were thrown out on every side to guard against surprise. For eight days our braves marched against the enemy, and then some spies came back and told us that they had found the Pawnee village. This made the hearts of our young men glad, for we felt that we should punish the wrong-doers. Our scouts told us that many of the Pawnee braves were on a big hunt, but that nearly all the remainder of the tribe were at the village. We gathered round the camp without being discovered, and the great chiefs told the young men how the battle was to be fought. | 66THE UMPIRE
SUNDAY, DECEMER 25, 1887.
THE FUTURE OF THE RED MAN.
AN INTERVIEW WITH RED SHIRT.
HOW THE INDIAN CHIEF MET BUFFALO BILL
[BY AN ENQUIBER.]
"I should like to meet Red Shirt if it can be arranged and have a little chat with him."
"Certainly," replied Major Burke, and accordingly the other morning I was introduced to the Sioux chief. Red Shirt, who only left the Indian reservation last March, looks every in a man born to command. He has a singularly fine intelligent face, and the peculiarities of Indian physiognomy are less remarkable in his case than in that of the Wild West Show in Manchester. Arrayed in a red woollen shirt and moccassins, the inevitable blanket thrown round to him so as to leave the right arm free, he looks an ideal Sioux. As he converses his large, bright eyes flash as he gets more and more deeply in earnest, but his countenance, save for an occasional flickering smile that plays about the corners of the mouth, remains as stolid as that of the Sphinx. Red Shirt, whose intelligence is of a very high order, is evidently a shrewd observer, and his good common sense is clearly demonstrated in his replies to any questions put to him.
As is usual at these palayers, Broncho Bill acted as interpreter, and succeeded admirably in coneying the questions and replies. Major Burke, however, explained that it is almost impossible to reproduce the similes drawn from nature, and the often poetic imagery of Indian oratory, unless the interpreter has a corresponding command of graceful English diction. My first question was how Red Shirt, an Indian chief, came to be a member of Buffalo Bill's company, and I was told that he only agreed to join the combination after the United States Government had given special permission and a grand council of the Sioux nation had been held.
THE DEATH OF YELLOW HAND.
"But did you never see Buffalo Bill until you joined this show?"
"Yes, I saw him long ago, but we never spoke until a little while since. All the men of the Sioux nation know Buffalo Bill by reputation. The first time I saw him was at the fight at War Narnard Creek, when the white men were too many for the poor Indians. It was twelve or thirteen years ago, but (and here his eyes twinkled ominously) that fight I can see now. Buffalo Bill in the struggle can see now. Buffalo Bill in the struggle killed Yellow Hand, a great Indian brave, and took his scalp. I tried to fight y way to the white man to revenge my brother, and although we got very near I could not reach him. Had we met one would have died; but the soldiers were encircling us; five of our men were shot down, and we fled. Then we would have killed each other, but now we have the same heart, and we are brothers. Yes, Colonel Cody is very good to me and my people."
A GREAT INDIAN BATTLE.
"Will you tell me another fight in which you were engaged?"
"Yes, I will tell you of a great fight of the Sioux nation with the Pawnees, who were always bad Indians. They had me our people on the hunt and killed them; they had attacked our villages and carried away our squaws and children, and their young braves came, like serpents in the grass, and stole away our horses. The Sioux nation offered to make a treaty of peace with the Pawnees, but the bad Indians refused, and the Grand Council of the Sioux sat down to discuss how we should punish these bad people, and every chief there spoke for going on the war path. Then we made ready to fight. It is fifteen years ago, and I was a young chief then: but my father, who was a great chief, was on the war path, and I was eager to prove myself a great warrior in his eyes. I collected my young men, and we set out, altogether 1300 strong, under 16 big chiefs. The most experienced warriors were sent on two days' march in advance to scout, and scouts were thrown out on every side to guard against surprise. For eight days our braves marched against the enemy, and then some spies came back and told us that they had found the Pawnee village. This made the hearts of our young men glad, for we felt that we should punish the wrong-doers. Our scouts told us that many of the Pawnee braves were on a big hunt, but that nearly all the remainder of the tribe were at the village. We gathered round the camp without being discovered, and the great chiefs told the young men how the battle was to be fought. |
